Clock ticks on possible North Middlesex, Lunenburg schools merger

School officials in Lunenburg and North Middlesex will decide in the coming weeks whether to pursue plans to merge the two districts.

[Eric]

Pepperell just built a school we did not need.(the debt service on the unneeded school is equal to the recent override) Townsend and Pepperell each have "new" schools that are empty. The current high school has excess capacity and two (2) principals. The district has a declining school population. And, Dr. Marshall wishes to have a new high school. What's wrong with this picture?

[Jim]

I hope for Lunenburgs sake the clock runs out so that they do not have to become part of such a mis-managed district. They should have the opportunty to mess it up on their own.

[Baffled Mom]

Due diligence or any distraction from diligence will do? Get back to work on NMRSD business starting with the tri-town budget meeting coming up this month. Be prepared with detailed budget information. BTW who authorized this Lunenburg discussion in the first place and how did our part-time superintendent find time to be in Lunenburg as well as North Middlesex and Quabbin? How about the transparency we were promised, why haven't the School Committee minutes been promptly posted on the NMRSD website?

What money from Massachusetts School Building Authority? They already came up short on the Ayer-Shirley-Lunenburg regional efforts!

We are already closing two schools, that the superintendent said we did not need. We're broke. It makes no financial sense to build a new school.

Say 'Good Night Gracie'.

[Eric]

Jim wrote:

I hope for Lunenburgs sake the clock runs out so that they do not have to become part of such a mis-managed district. They should have the opportunty to mess it up on their own.

Jim makes a very good point! NMRSD's MCAS results are embarassing! One of the few indicators that's difficult for the administration to spin. NMRSD is lower than veryone in the Lowell area except Ayer and Lowell (with all it's ethnic gangs) and is significantly lower than Lunenburg's.

[Joe]

Baffled Mom wrote:

What money from Massachusetts School Building Authority? They already came up short on the Ayer-Shirley-Lunenburg regional efforts!

Actually, MSBA came up big for Ayer/Shirley/Lunenburg. They wrote a letter basically committing to 65% reimbursement. What sank the plan was the $1.8 million needed to fund the transitional year (hire new central office, legal costs for contracts negotiations, etc. while the three independent districts wound down). That funding had nothing to do with MSBA or the plan for a new regional high school. That part was as solid as it could possibly get without the region even existing yet.

[Lunenburg parent]

What is going on? Why is Lunenburg shopping around to become a regional school district? This is crazy. Ayer, Shirley and North Middlesex are all struggling. We can't save them.